MCBASTARD'S MAUSOLEUM: STIR OF ECHOES (1999) (Imprint Films Blu-ray Review)

STIR OF ECHOES (1999)

Label: Imprint Films

Region Code: Region-Free

Rating: R

Duration: 99 Minutes

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround and LCPM 2.0 Stereo with Option English Subtitles

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)

Director: David Koepp

Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Kevin Dunn

In the still underrated in-my-opinion chiller Stir of Echoes (1999) Kevin Bacon (Hollow Man) plays a working class Chicago guy named Tom Wiztky whose life is turned upside down when he is hypnotized by his wife's sister Lisa (Illeana Douglas, Ghost World) at a neighborhood party. In doing so she plants a post-hypnotic suggestions during the session for him to be more open-minded about things, not realizing that it would unleash supernatural-sense that puts him in touch with a restless spirit inhabiting his own home, which has something to do with a 17-year-old girl named Samantha Kozac (Urban Legends: Final Cut), who disappeared from the neighborhood six months prior.

As Tom's mind is opened he starts see things he cannot explain, the spirit cryptically urging him look further into her disappearance, which pushes him to the brink of sanity, as it does his put-upon wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe, TVs Law & Order: Criminal Intent) who is at her wits ends with his new obsession, which drives him to dig up their yard, rip up his kitchen floor, and eventually start to excavate his rental-property home basement with a jackhammer looking for clues and an end to his haunting.

Adapted from a Richard Matheson (Duel, Twilight Zone) novel and directed by David Koepp (Secret Window), this is a flick that had the unfortune timing of coming a few months after The Sixth Sense, which it does share a fair bit, including a spirit-sensitive precocious kid by way of Tom's son Jake (Zachary David Cope) who is revealed to be aware of his dad's newfound ghost-whispering abilities and had his own two way conversations with the restless spit himself, an element I felt was not actually explored enough in this film.

Stir of Echoes is a solid chiller with a stellar cast that does a lot with a simple premise, the set-up is well established early on with a good amount of suspense and working class skepticism. The ghostly chills are established with a very lo-tech old school charm that does not rely on CGI and holds up quite nicely upon re-watch, with the images of the spirit shot at a different frame rate giving her an unearthly movement that also holds up quite nicely. The film also does good work building the small community of friends, some who have hidden away dark secrets that are coming to light as Tom gets closer to the truth, to no one's delight.

The movie has a look and style that scream late-90's so it's dated in that respect but the supernatural chills and mystery is still water tight and well-executed. This is a still a bit of a hidden gem that doesn't get spoken of enough for my tastes, a solid chiller from start to finish and quite an entertaining watch.

Audio/Video: Stir of Echoes (1999) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Via Vision Entertainment's premium sub-label Imprint Films in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. This is not advertised as a new scan so it could be the same HD master used by Lionsgate for their U.S., but as I never upgraded my DVD I am uncertain about that. Regardless, it's a solid looking transfer with pleasing black levels, good shadow detail and color saturation throughout. The color-scheme of this one is very autumnal-earth tone and doesn't have many color highlights to it, but that's by design. That said, it's quite pleasing in-motion and showcases a fine layer of film grain and plentiful fine detail and texture in the close-ups, and the colors look natural throughout. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and LPCM 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. The surrounds have plenty of atmospheric touches to enjoy, and the score from James Newton Howard (King Kong) is creepy and wonderful, and sounds terrific in the mix.

Imprint don't skimp on extras and Stir of Echoes is no different, they carry-over the over two-hours worth of extras from past releases with an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes and more; and add their own stamp with about 44 minutes of new interviews with director David Koepp, Kathryn Erbe and production designer Nelson Coates. These get into the nitty gritty of the film from different angles not explored in the archival extras, and with the benefit of a few years more behind them to reflect on the film with a fresh perspective.

The single-disc release arrives in an oversized clear keepcase with a two-sided sleeve of artwork, plus a handsome limited edition slipcover. Both the wrap and the slipcover have a numbered spine (this being #91), and the Blu-ray disc features the same key art as the slipcover.

Special Features:

- Audio Commentary with writer/director David Koepp

- NEW! Flipping the Switch: Directing Stir of Echoes – Interview with director David Koepp (2021) (17 min)

- NEW! Maggie’s Memories: Inside Stir of Echoes – Interview with actress Kathryn Erbe (2021) (11 min)

- NEW! Opening the Door: Designing Stir of Echoes – Interview with production designer Nelson Coates (2021) (16 min)

- Sights of Spirits: Channeling the Paranormal (11 min)

- Behind the Echoes (21 min)

- The Mind’s Eye: Beneath the Trance (10 min)

- Special Effects (4 min)

- Production Design (4 min)

- Interviews with Cast and Crew: David Koeppe, Kevin Bacon, Illeana Douglass, Kathryn Erbe, Gavin Palin, Michele Weisler(8 min)

- Behind the Scenes (5 min)